Veins Station - Jump Rope for 1-2 minutes to get blood pumping back to the heart through the veins. FACT: Veins bring blood back TO the heart from the body’s muscles and organs.

Chambers of the Heart Station- get on scooter and go around 4 cones representing the 4 rooms or chambers of the heart. FACT: There are four chambers that divide the heart: right and left atrium and right and left ventricle.

Food Choice Station (Mini-trampolines) - jump 10 times while naming 10 examples of HEALTHY foods. FACT: Your plate should be as colorful as possible to get a variety of nutrients and vitamins.

Tobacco Free Races

Explain how tobacco affects your body, by substituting carbon monoxide for oxygen in your blood, making it harder for muscles and organs to get the oxygen they need. Students are placed in relay lines.

On signal, relays begin. Run races without an extra workload or with an extra workload, such as pulling a tire or carrying a basketball.

Variation: Have students make extra stops along the way to show that when you smoke, you often get winded.

Musical Circles

Play the game like “Musical Chairs.” Using jump ropes, make several circles around the gym or classroom. The smaller circles should form one large circle.

Have the children travel around the large circle using a variety of actions (such as hopping, skipping or walking on all fours) and try to land in one of the jump rope circles each time the music stops.

A rope may be removed after each round to make the game more difficult. Instead of children immediately going “out” if they don’t land in a circle, consider other methods of scoring.

For example, you might award one point each time they land in a circle or have each circle represent a different color that they must “earn” by landing in it at least once. Or, have the “out” children jump rope in the middle of
the circle until the music stops again, then exchange places with the new “out” players.

Gradually increase the time of exercise and decrease the time of rest, explaining to students that working a little harder each time you exercise helps the heart and lungs grow stronger and increase aerobic endurance. Another option is to make this
a cooperative activity rather than an elimination activity. To do this, you might remove a circle after each game so that the children will need to share circles with other players.

*All health/medical information on this website has been reviewed and approved by the American Heart Association, based on scientific research and American Heart Association guidelines. Use this link for more information on our content editorial process.